Merlin's Bane
by Tut-tut-lady-luck
Summary: Rewrite of Arthur's bane- In order to complete Arthur's plan of saving the knights of the round table, Merlin and Arthur have to blend in with all the workers looking for the Diamir. At first, Arthur thought Merlin was just being weird when he didn't want to go along with the plan, but then he realized there was more to Merlin than he thought. Scar reveal, magic reveal.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin's Bane

Rewrite of Arthur's bane- In order to complete Arthur's plan of saving the knights of the round table, Merlin and Arthur have to blend in with all the workers looking for the Diamir. At first, Arthur thought Merlin was just being weird when he didn't want to go along with the plan, but then he realized there was more to Merlin than he thought. Scar reveal, magic reveal.

**Hello, this is my first Merlin fanfic! Feedback is appreciated! **

**NOTICE: I made up a few of Merlin's scars. He goes on so many crazy missions, there's no way he doesn't have a few of them. I also brought in some that are in the show.**

**A little recap of the episode if you don't remember: Arthur and Merlin go to Ismir to rescue Gwaine and Percival from Morgana, who are forced to dig under the citadel looking for the Diamir. Gwaine is beaten and the Diamir saves him.**

**I follow the basic plot, but I have a few changes and I changed the dialogue as well.**

**Enjoy! :D**

"We'll never make it in there," Merlin said quietly, staring at the castle. No, not castle, this was a fortress.

"There's always a way, Merlin," Arthur said thoughtfully. Merlin glanced at Arthur, not sure he wanted to know what his idea was. Arthur smiled back, confirming that this was definitely not going to be fun.

"How did you talk me into this?" Merlin grunted as he dragged himself up the garbage chute. He cringed when something especially slimy brushed his cheek.

"Genius, Merlin," Arthur said with a grunt of his own. Easy for him to say, Merlin was getting most of the muck since he was in the front.

"I- UGH!" Merlin's retort was cut off by a giant pile of what seemed to be food waste-at least that's what he hoped it was-dropped on his head. Merlin recoiled and tried to avoid the waterfall of garbage to no avail. Merlin glared at Arthur, "Genius?" he said.

"You have a bit of, um, carrot in your hair," Arthur said, "At least I hope it's carrot."

Merlin shook the waste out of his hair the best he could. With one more glare at Arthur, he turned and crawled through the pile of waste, flinging some at Arthur as he went. Arthur bit back a laugh, then crawled after him.

Finally out of the garbage chute, they looked down at the courtyard below. Merlin threw some rather large, rather disgusting chunks of who knows what off his clothes.

"Ready?" asked Arthur.

"For what?" Merlin asked testily.

"Our carriage awaits," Arthur said, heading down towards a cart that was soon going to go to the mines.

Merlin sighed and followed. They sneakily made their way into the cart, covering themselves with a tarp. They waited tensely until it finally came to a stop.

**(NOTE: My plot starts here)**

Arthur glanced up to ensure no Saxtons were close, then threw off the tarp and got out. Looking around, he noticed that all of the people there wore no shirts, and were hard at work.

"You," he said, grabbing the nearest slave, "How often do they patrol?"

"Almost every five minutes," the man grunted, "You guys are gonna get caught lookin' like that. Leave while you can, there's no escapin' here."

Arthur marched over to where Merlin was. "We need to blend in if we are to find the knights. Take your shirt off and grab a rock, then we can look around."

Merlin hesitated, "Uh, I don't think I'll fit in here."

"What do you mean Merlin? You stick out like a sore thumb with your shirt, scarf, and jacket! Take it off and let's go!" Arthur said, taking his chainmail and undershirt off.

Merlin slowly started taking his jacket and neckerchief off. When his shirt was left, he hesitated again. "I don't look like these other people, I won't fit in anyway."

"Merlin, just take it off before we get caught!" Arthur said, picking up a large rock to carry.

Merlin sighed and pulled it off. Arthur dropped the rock with a very loud crash.

Merlin had some of the largest scars he had ever seen. The most prominent was a burn mark that nearly took up his whole chest. It wasn't new, but it wasn't really all that old either. Arthur's first instinct was to think it was a burn from spilling hot water on himself, but no, it didn't look like that.

That wasn't the only scar. On his shoulder, there was a blackened scar that Arthur would recognize anywhere. A serket sting. Arthur knew that scar from his many knights that had fallen to the beasts. It left a very specific mark. How on earth did Merlin survive a serket sting?

The more Arthur looked the more scars he saw, scars a simple serving boy should not have. A large gash on his other shoulder from a mace, what appeared to be scratch marks on his lower back, scratch marks from what must have been a bear or something of that size. There were zig-zag marks that looked like he had been tied up extremely tight.

"You can stop staring, we have a job to do," Merlin said uncomfortably, picking up the rock Arthur had dropped.

"Merlin, how on earth-"

"Don't ask Arthur, we don't have time," Merlin said, sounding both nervous and annoyed.

"Fine, but you're telling me when this is over," Arthur said, annoyed.

Arthur picked up a rock, and they started to wander the endless tunnels. After a few moments of silence, Arthur couldn't help himself.

"A _serket_ Merlin? Their poison is the most deadly of them all yet you somehow-"

"Shut up Arthur." Merlin grunted, "This is neither the time nor place."

Arthur fell silent, lagging slightly behind him so he could take a better look at the scratch marks. They were deep, and couldn't be more than a year old.

"_Arthur!_" Merlin whisper-shouted, "Would you stop looking at them?"

"Merlin I don't understa-"

"Arthur quit being a prat and just come on," Merlin hissed. He turned around and picked up speed.

Arthur sighed and followed his quick pace. For a few minutes, there was silence.

"Hey you two, what are you doing?" An approaching guard said threateningly. "I've been watching you, you can't just expect us to let you get out of work by walking around all day. Start digging!"

"Yes sir," Merlin said, dropping the rock and running over to where a small group of men were working and started helping. Arthur followed close behind.

Once the guard moved on, they went back to their search. Finally, they found Percival.

"Arthur? Merlin?" Percival said with a smile, "I knew it wouldn't be long."

"Where's Gwaine?" Arthur asked.

"He went that way yesterday," he said, pointing down a tunnel that seemed abandoned, "Haven't seen him, I was gonna look for him as soon as I found an opening."

"We'll find him, but I need you to start a riot," Arthur said.

"How? This place is crawling with Saxons."

"Percival, you're surrounded by some pretty strong men by the looks of it. Use rocks, use the shovels, use anything you can get! You get out and meet us in the forest to the west," Arthur said as he started down the tunnel.

Merlin turned to follow, but Percival grabbed his arm. "Merlin, are you alright?" he asked, having noticed the gigantic scars.

"Fine," Merlin replied quickly, brushing Percival's hand off and following Arthur. Percival looked at him concerned but then turned to start his riot.

It wasn't hard to find Gwaine, considering that he was sleeping in the middle of the small clearing.

"How did I know you would find a way to not work," Arthur laughed as he woke him up. Gwaine startled a bit, but then laughed in delight.

"What on earth took you two so long? It's been awful! It's so hot in here it's a miracle we don't all burn up!" Gwaine said as he got up.

Arthur smiled and then started to look around. Gwaine clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder, "It's good to see you, my friend, I knew you would be here at some point…" He trailed off when he saw that he had just been touching the serket scar. "What-?"

Merlin didn't even respond this time, he just jerked away and started down a path. "I think we need to go this way," he said.

"What makes you say that, Merlin? There are probably 6 different ways we could go, what makes that one so special?"

Merlin sighed. He obviously couldn't tell Arthur, but he felt a magical presence that way that felt strangely familiar. So he went with his usual excuse of "I have a feeling."

Arthur groaned, but started down the tunnel. "I guess it's as good as any of them," he muttered.

Merlin and Gwaine followed, Gwaine casting a few worried glances at Merlin with his scars, but wisely he said nothing.

After walking a few minutes, Merlin stopped. He knew what this magical presence was. Athuisa! Athuisa could help them escape, but only as a last resort.

"Why are we stopping?" Arthur grumbled.

"Uh, I heard something," Merlin said quickly.

"You heard something?" Gwaine asked.

"Yeah, you guys hide and I'll check it out," Merlin said, gesturing to a partially hidden divet in the wall.

"Merlin, why on earth would you want to do that? We can all go." Arthur replied.

"No, Arthur! If you are caught then all is lost! Morganna will stop at nothing to kill you!" Merlin said.

"I'll go then," Gwaine said, "If Morganna sees you she'll know Arthur is here."

Merlin paled. If Gwaine saw Athuisa then he would surely kill her. Merlin wasn't exactly sure how the aging of dragons worked, but she was only two years old! There was no way she could defend herself against a knight of Camalot!

But he couldn't think of an excuse…

Thankfully Athuisa gave him a perfect excuse. A weak roar was heard down the passage. Arthur and Gwaine jumped into the divet for cover.

"Merlin! Come on! That sounded like a dragon!" Arthur hissed urgently.

"I'll distract it, you guys find your way out," Merlin said.

Arther's eyebrows rose. "Merlin, I knew you were stupid, but I also know you aren't that stupid."

"No, I am that stupid, and if you don't believe me, then watch," Merlin said, then turned and ran.

"_Merlin!_" Arthur whisper-shouted, "I swear to the holy grail he is the dumbest man in the five kingdoms!" he said in annoyance.

"Eh, he'll be fine, it's Merlin after all," Gwaine said with a smile.

"What on earth do you mean?" Arthur replied, confused.

"Merlin always survives, heaven only knows how," Gwaine chuckled, "Let him try, if he can't do it he'll come right back to us."

"Not if he's dead," Arthur muttered, but he stayed put.

Merlin crept along. He couldn't help but feel a bit excited to see Athuisa again. He turned the corner, and he saw…

"Athuisa?" Merlin cried, running to her, "Who did this to you?"

Athuisa backed away from Merlin, making a croaking sound. She tried to blow fire at him, but he blocked it with magic. She kept blowing fire over and over.

"_**Don diggay die seekai yee moss sebiasan hebatai**_" Merlin shouted. Athuisa stopped and bowed her head.

"Who did this to you?" Merlin asked again, but Athuisa did not speak.

"_Don diggay die seekai yee moss sebiasan hebatai" _Merlin's voice shouted.

"What the heck is he even doing?" Arthur grunted, "Does he think gibberish is going to save him?"

Gwaine shrugged, but before he could say anything he was flung against a wall and knocked out cold.

"Hello, dear brother," Morgana said, walking dramatically over to them.

"Morganna?" Arthur gasped, backing away.

"What a pleasant surprise, although I suppose it isn't surprising since you are painfully predictable," Morganna sneered.

"What are you doing here?" Arthur asked.

"Why, I'm here to kill you!" Morganna said happily, a mad gleam in her eye, "In fact, let's go ahead and get it over with. _Flayo!"_

A dagger tore itself from it's shieth and plunged into Arthur's stomach. Arthur shouted in pain and fell over, hitting his head on a rock and knocking himself out.

Morganna smiled, "Goodbye dear brother," she spat before she walked away.

"It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you Athuisa," Merlin said gently, "We need to get you some help-"

Suddenly Merlin heard Arthur cry out. "Arthur!" he shouted, "Athuisa come on!"

Athuisa followed Merlin to where Arthur and Gwaine lay. Merlin ran to Arthur's side, whispering a healing spell. Arthur's unconscious form relaxed and the bleeding stopped. Merlin did the same to Gwaine.

"Athuisa, you need to carry them out. Get them out somehow!" Merlin said desperately, not wanting to run into Morganna while trying to get them out.

Athuisa grunted, but the message was clear. She was not strong enough to lift them.

Merlin backed up, trying to remember one of the more difficult spells he knew. "_Hezkirin enfortir mae,_" Merlin whispered. Athuisa grunted as the power of the spell washed over her.

"There, now you are strong enough. Go Athuisa! Come back for me when you are finished"

Athuisa grunted, and with her new magical strength, she lifted Arthur and Gwaine in each hand and flew towards a large ledge above them, which hopefully lead to outside somehow.

Merlin sat down hard, his strength slowly returning after such a powerful spell. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, but only seconds passed before he was interrupted.

"Emrys," a strange voice whispered.

Merlin opened his eyes, seeing what looked like a man who was stretched out and glowing. He could feel great power in this creature.

"Who are you?" he whispered back.

"I am the Diamir," the creature responded, "and I have a warning for you. It regards Arthur's bane."

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"Himself," the Diamir said, "You are his closest friend, Emrys. Only you can help him overcome his own doubts."

Merlin nodded, thinking it over.

"Emrys, you have a clean soul. I am the keeper of all knowledge, and because of your heroics, I shall grant you one question. Ask me anything."

Merlin thought for a moment, then he knew what he wanted to ask.

"Today Arthur and some of the knights saw my scars from my, er, adventures," Merlin said softly, "I don't think I'll be able to get out of some sort of explanation that makes sense, but I don't think I'll be able to come up with one. How would Arthur react if I just told him?"

The Diamir smiled. "Emrys, the once and future king is not blind. I can see that he would accept you, along with all the other knights. But it would take some time for them to process it. Have faith in them Emrys."

The Diamir began to glow, and with a flash he was gone. Merlin sat in the dark for a few moments, processing what had been said. Could he really tell Arthur? And Leon? And Percival? He could finally tell them of his power? He could be free? Merlin could barely believe it.

Soon Athuisa came back, picking Merlin up and flying up to the ledge. They weaved in and out of tunnels for a few minutes, then suddenly they were outside. Athuisa carried him to the west and set him down near where the other knights were.

"Thank you Athuisa. I have one more order for you," he said, feeling her misshapen spine, "Stay away from Morganna. And find Kilgarrah, he might be able to heal you."

Athuisa looked at him with sad eyes. It was then that Merlin realized that Athuisa liked Morganna.

"No, Athuisa," he whispered, "Morganna only will use you for evil." Merlin couldn't bear the sad look Athuisa gave him, so he said "You have my orders. Go."

Athuisa flew away into the sky, Merlin watched for a moment, then went to join the other knights. Elyan and Leon were there. They had apparently been searching for them and found Percival in the process.

Merlin trudged into the clearing, checking Arthur and Gwaine. They were sound asleep and healing very well. Apparently, Morganna didn't think about where she stabbed Arthur, and it had missed any vital organs.

"Merlin!" Leon shouted when he saw him. Merlin smiled and walked faster towards his friends. Leon's face went from joy to horror as Merlin approached.

"Merlin, what are those?" He asked, gesturing to his large scars. Elyan gasped when he saw them.

Merlin stopped walking and sighed. "Listen, I know they look bad, but-"

"Bad?" Elyan asked, horrified, "Those aren't just bad Merlin. At least three of those should be fatal! How on earth did you survive those?"

Merlin glanced at his chest, seeing the all too familiar scars. Yeah, he knew they looked really bad. This was not going to be easy to explain.

But he only wanted to explain it once.

"I'll explain it when Gwaine and Arthur wake up," he said quietly, "I promise.

Leon nodded and went to his saddlebag and got some of the camp supplies. Merlin went to help, but he had to stop cuz Elyan and Leon didn't stop staring at the scars. He hated it when people looked at them, even Gaius. So he went to lay down, exhausted. He quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, Gwaine and Arthur were awake. The very moment they saw that Merlin was awake, they demanded to know what had happened. First, at Merlin's insistence, Percival told his story about how he had started the riot.

"It wasn't hard at all," he said, "Everyone wanted out, and all the digging made people strong. We organized, got as many weapons as we could find, and stormed out. We didn't get much resistance, I think the guards were afraid of us. Once we were out, I split from the group to wait for you guys."

Everyone turned to Merlin now, wanting his side of the story.

Merlin blew out a slow breath. "I have a long story to tell you."

Merlin knew the knights couldn't help look at the scars. He knew they were concerned. That was why it was time to tell them.

"I got these protecting Arthur," he said.

"_What!"_ Arthur shouted.

Merlin nodded, "See, my life has been foretold for centuries. It has always been my destiny to protect the once and future king."

"Says who?" Gwaine asked.

"Oh loads of people," Merlin said with a small smile, "Druids, dragons, sorcerers, magical creatures, you name it," When the knights didn't respond- as most were shocked into silence- Merlin continued, "See, now don't freak out, but I have-" Merlin paused, knowing his next words were going to change everything. He took a deep breath, "I have magic."

**Hope you liked this story! For any who wish to know, the spell Merlin used on Athuisa was just two random languages of the word strengthen, then the word mae at the end cuz I thought it sounded cool XD. Please show love if you loved it!**

**Hope to see you all with more stories soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Originally this was only going to be a one-shot, but I decided that I could try another chapter for a number of reasons. The main reason was that you guys showed sooo much support, so thank you so much for that!**

**I'd like to apologize for having no breaks in the story, they didn't show up and no matter how many times I tried to edit it they did not show up. I hope it fixed itself with this chapter.**

"_See, now don't freak out, but I have-" Merlin paused, knowing his next words were going to change everything. He took a deep breath, "I have magic."_

There was a tense moment of silence. Merlin didn't move, his eyes stubbornly on the ground, bracing himself for what was to come.

"_What?!" _shouted too many voices at once.

Merlin nodded slightly.

Then, of course, chaos.

Gwaine was yelling something about trust, Leon was yelling something about betrayal, Elyan was shouting something about the king, Percival didn't seem to know what to say, although he felt about ready to burst from the shock, Arthur was in a similar state of Percival.

Merlin couldn't think of anything to say with all the yelling. The knights showed no signs of calming down. In fact, they were only getting louder with questions and accusations.

Arthur had had enough. He stood up, silencing everyone with his authoritative nature. He marched over to Merlin, grabbed his arm (quite roughly), and dragged him away from the group. Merlin did not protest, but the other knights did. They wanted answers, after all. But Arthur was in authority, and they knew they couldn't question him this time.

Arthur dragged Merlin deeper into the forest, turning a blind eye to how rough he was being. Deep down Arthur knew he was probably being mean, but at the moment he couldn't find it in him to care. Plus, Merlin didn't seem to mind too much.

Finally, Arthur stopped. He shoved Merlin to the ground. Merlin shifted into a sitting position but made no move after that.

Doubts had been filling Merlin's mind ever since he had said the words. The anger in Arthur's eyes didn't look like acceptance. Could the Diamir be wrong? After all the future wasn't written in stone, he could have just given Merlin an optimistic view.

And now Merlin would have to live with the consequences. No wait, die with the consequences. After all, Arthur would only want to kill him after he found out all the awful things he had done.

Merlin was such a fool. How could Arthur ever accept him with all the times Merlin had failed? All the times Merlin had killed in the name of doing good. And all the lies…

"Merlin you idiot, would you stop panicking and just explain?" Arthur grumbled, staring off into space.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, his voice shaking. _For the love of Camalot Merlin, get ahold of yourself _he thought.

"Oh I don't know," Arthur replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm, "Maybe why you decided to be a _sorcerer_?!"

Merlin took a deep breath, finally taking control of his emotions.

"I actually never made that decision. I was born with magic."

"Born with magic?" Arthur repeated in disbelief. "_What?"_

"Yeah, if we're being honest my life was never mine. My life is has been mapped out by destiny, just like yours."

"What the devil are you talking about?" Arthur hissed annoyed

"Arthur I don't even know where to start," Merlin said with a small, humorless laugh. "There's so much."

"Why don't you start from when you met me then?" Arthur said after a thoughtful moment.

Merlin thought about that. Honestly, that was a great place to start.

"It's a long story," Merlin said.

"We have a long time," Arthur replied, "So you'd best get on with it."

So Merlin did. He released the secrets he'd held for so long. They flooded out of him like a dam breaking. He did not stop, talking for the better part of two hours. He told him of how he had snuck around Camelot performing different magical deeds, protecting Arthur. He told the story of each scar he had.

Near an hour, Merlin started shivering since he had no clothes except his trousers. As much as he hated to admit it, it was freezing. Arthur noticed this and told him to pause the story. He went and grabbed some nearby wood and stacked it. Merlin started the fire, then continued.

By the end of his stories, Merlin's voice was hoarse. There was a heavy silence, Merlin had nothing left to say.

"Why, Merlin," Arthur finally said, "It's been years since my father died. My views of magic have changed and you know that. Why wouldn't you tell me? I think you knew I wouldn't hurt you."

"I…" Merlin took a shaky breath and found himself fighting tears. "That's a question I have asked myself for a long time. There were times that I almost did tell you, but-" Merlin sighed, feeling a tear slide down his cheek, thinking of everyone he'd lost.

"What?" Arthur asked after a moment of silence.

"Anyone I've ever told has died," he said, his voice cracking.

"_Died?_" Arthur nearly shouted, "Who's died?"

"Lancelot, Diagal, Alator, Finna, Will, Freya," Merlin mumbled, voice cracking on the last two. ***

"That's a lot of people," Arthur whispered.

Merlin nodded, more tears running down his face, "I didn't want you to be among them, Arthur. I didn't want to risk your life, I didn't want you to die," Merlin stopped holding back the tears, there was no stopping them, "I was so afraid that you would die that I decided I wouldn't risk it."

Arthur didn't say anything to that. What could he say?

"Come on," Arthur said after several minutes of thoughtful silence, "Let's get some rest. We have a long journey ahead."

"But Arthur," Merlin said, standing, "What are you going to do?"

Arthur sighed. "I don't know yet Merlin. I'm not going to punish you, I'm not that stupid. But just let me process this alright?"

Merlin nodded, a smile creeping onto his face. Arthur wasn't going to punish him. That was more than he could ever ask.

"And the others?" Merlin asked, not really willing to explain things again.

"They'll live to wait a bit," Arthur said, "Come on."

"Er, Arthur are you sure we came from that direction?" Merlin asked.

"Course I am Merlin," Arthur said, then paused, "Or, maybe it's this way…" Arthur switched directions, but couldn't seem to remember which way they had come. That felt like ages ago.

"I can find our way back," Merlin suggested.

"Why didn't you say so, go on then," Arthur said, turning to face him.

Merlin let his magic rush to his eyes as he searched the surrounding forest for his friends.

"_MERLIN!" _Arthur cried.

"What?" Merlin shouted back, breaking the spell.

"I thought you meant the _normal_ way! Not some weird magic!" Arthur snapped.

"Oh, sorry," Merlin muttered, "It's that way though," he said pointing to the left.

Arthur scoffed and stalked off in that direction.

*******_**(IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER SOME OF THE DEAD PEOPLE- Diagal is the imposter Druid that lead Merlin into Morgana's trap, but then turned out to be a great person, died saving Arthur. Alator of the Catha is the one who finds out who Emrys is from Gaius and then pledges allegiance to Merlin. Finna is the servant of Alator and kills herself to protect Merlin. You should know the rest)**_

**I know it's shorter. I might do one with the knights if you guys want, the only problem is that it's SO HARD to write it when they aren't one on one with Merlin. That's why I had Merlin leave with Arthur.**

**Reviews and favs and follows are THE BEST and they make me super happy! So if you like it I'd love to know!**

**Luv ya guys**

**TTLL**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I never planned on keeping this fic going, but someone left a comment asking me to write about what happens to Aithusa, and since it's quarantine and I'm bored, I thought it was a great idea. **

**Don't kill me if you don't like the reactions of the knights, I had such a hard time figuring out how they would react. **

**You guys are absolutely amazing with the amount of love I get for this fic. Thank you!**

**Also, I know I'm blurring the time but it's for my plot. Sorry bout that**

_Right after Merlin and Arthur left_

_(No set POV)_

Gwaine, Elyan, Leon, and Percival stood in stunned silence as Arthur dragged Merlin into the woods.

Naturally, the silence was broken by Gwaine.

Who was… laughing?

"What, pray tell, is so funny Gwaine?" Elyan asked sharply, "This is serious, Merlin might be evil."

"Evil?" Gwaine asked, "Merlin doesn't have an evil bone in his body and you know it. Besides, it makes sense doesn't it?"

"Not really," muttered Leon who was still processing.

"Think about it! How many magical threats have just disappeared with no explanation? And how many times has Merlin disappeared for days on end with no explanation?"

"Arthur said that he was in the tavern," Leon said.

"The _tavern_?" Gwaine scoffed, "If anyone had the brains to ask me, they would know that he only comes in the tavern to get me out of trouble."

"He's been… protecting us," Elyan realized.

"What do you mean?" Leon asked.

"He always comes on hunts and patrols with us, even when he shouldn't. And whenever there is some sort of attack from bandits or something, we always win."

"Even when we are severely outnumbered," Leon agreed.

"Tree branches are always falling on them," Gwaine said.

"Then why have we been told that magic is evil?" Leon questioned.

"That isn't what I believed," Percival said thoughtfully, "I wasn't raised in Camelot. While magic wasn't encouraged where I grew up, it wasn't considered evil. In fact, I lived at a druid camp for a while and they were very kind to me."

"You never mentioned that," Elyan said.

"Wasn't my place to question the king," Percival sighed, "Plus, it never really came up."

"What do you think they are doing?" Leon wondered.

Gwaine's eyes darkened "I don't know, but if that princess lays a hand on Merlin I'll-"

"Easy there Gwaine," Percival chided, "I'm sure they are just talking."

"You'll never find his body," Gwaine muttered, not caring that saying that was technically treason. After all, it was Merlin they were talking about.

"How do you think he got those scars?" Elyan asked.

"One was a serket sting, I've seen it before," Leon frowned, "I've never heard of anyone surviving one. They supposedly have the most potent poison known to man."

Gwaine whistled, "Ouch, that can't have felt good."

Elyan wrinkled his brow in confusion, "Then how did he survive?"

"Probably magic," Gwaine said, earning him an eye roll.

"Obviously, but it would have to be powerful magic. Gaius wasn't able to heal it back when magic was legal, and he was very good at healing magic." Leon remembered.

"How on earth do you know that? You weren't very old when the purge started." Elyan asked.

"I was 14 when the purge started, thank you very much. Plus, it was my uncle who was stung."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elyan said.

Leon shrugged, "It was a long time ago."

"So if Gaius couldn't heal it, how powerful is Merlin?" Gwaine asked.

"I've heard it's harder to heal yourself than it is to heal others," Percival muttered thoughtfully, "maybe he had help."

Their conversation continued in a similar fashion. They discussed the idea of Merlin having magic for what seemed like hours. As the conversation wore on, it became clear that Merlin only used it for good.

Arthur returned with Merlin late in the night. Merlin looked about to collapse.

"I know you all have questions," Merlin said tiredly, "But can they wait?"

The knights all nodded. Elyan even offered his bedroll, which Merlin gladly took. It was only minutes before he fell asleep.

"What are you going to do sire?" Leon asked.

Arthur sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm not sure yet. But he isn't evil, I know that. I'm trying to process I guess."

Gwaine nodded his approval. He knew that this would be hard for Uther's son, who grew up hearing about how evil magic is.

"I'll take first watch," Leon volunteered, "The rest of you need rest. I'm sure that the mines were not easy work."

Everyone nodded and went to sleep. Arthur slept on Leon's bedroll, and the others sat on the (thankfully) soft grass.

(Merlin's POV)

The ride back to Camelot was filled with stories Merlin shared. It was so strange, being so transparent. But Merlin knew that it was a good thing.

The fact that they all accepted Merlin meant the world to him. Arthur and Leon still were a bit hesitant, but that was ok. They would accept it in time.

Merlin was in the middle of talking about his circuit sting when he stopped cold.

"_Lord, help me please." _a voice cried out in his mind.

It wasn't a druid, no it was much too powerful.

"_Who are you,_" Merlin asked in his mind.

"What's wrong Merlin?" Gwaine asked. Merlin waved him off, trying to focus on the connection.

"_You gave me my name Lord, and you have taken my purpose." _the voice cried.

"_Aithusa?"_ Merlin winced.

"_Yes."_

"Stop," Merlin said, turning his horse around. "_Where are you?"_

A picture of a rocky cliff appeared in his mind. Merlin recognized it, they had been there a few weeks ago on an extended hunting trip. It was only about a days ride from where they were.

Merlin's blood went cold when he noticed the red liquid on the ground.

"Arthur I have to go," Merlin said urgently.

"What? Where?" Arthur asked.

"I have to help Aithusa, the dragon who carried you out of the cave."

"What's wrong with it?" Arthur asked, baffled.

"_Her,_" Merlin corrected, "She's in trouble. I have to find her." He spurred his horse to go east.

Not surprisingly, the others followed him.

"Are you sure you want to come?" Merlin shouted over the sound of the many galloping horses.

"I wouldn't miss you using your dragon mojo for all the ale in Camelot!" Gwaine shouted with a laugh.

Merlin chuckled, and turned his mind to Aithusa. "_Don't worry Aithusa, I'm coming to help you."_

The ride was stressful for Merlin. For all he knew, Aithusa could be dead. Then he would be responsible for the extinction of dragons. _Some dragonlord I am_ he thought.

When the horses started slowing down from exhaustion, Merlin muttered a spell to give them better endurance. He couldn't afford to lose any time.

They finally arrived at the cliffs that Merlin knew Aithusa was at. The only problem was, the cliffs went on for miles. Aithusa could be anywhere.

Arthur was talking about resting the horses and starting the next day. The knights kept giving Merlin worried glances. He couldn't blame them, they probably had no idea what was really going on.

Merlin couldn't stop pacing. It might take weeks to find Aithusa. Weeks! With Kilgharrah dying, he wouldn't be much of a help either.

Wait… Dragons weren't the only thing Merlin could command. He had commanded Wyverns when Arthur went on his quest to get the Fisher King's trident! Maybe they would come to him now!

He closed his eyes, getting ready to call to them from such a far away land.

"**O Wyvern!**" he roared. The knights jumped, "**E mala so ftengometh tesd'hup anakes erkheo!**"

Silence followed. Merlin strained to hear their response, hoping with every bone in his body that they could hear him.

"Did that just come out of Merlin's mouth?" Gwaine whispered, flabbergasted.

"_We come Lord," _a grating voice replied. It was full of annoyance and hate, but Merlin didn't care.

"What was that Merlin?" Arthur questioned timidly.

"I called Wyverns to help us look," Merlin sat down with a sigh. Then he noticed the knight's faces, "Wait, did that scare you?"

"No," Arthur said a little too fast, "Of course not."

Merlin laughed, "It did scare you didn't it!"

"In our defense, we had no idea something so loud and guttural could come out of any human," Gwaine laughed.

It took the better part of an hour for the wyverns to arrive, which made sense since they weren't as fast as dragons. There were five of them, which was good news for Merlin, They could carry all of the knights if one of them doubled up.

The wyverns obviously tried to swoop down and attack them, but Merlin was one step ahead.

"**Nun de ge dei s'eikein kai emois epe'essin hepesthai!" **Merlin commanded.

"What was that?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin shrugged, "I told them not to kill you."

The Wyverns landed. They glared at Merlin, but thankfully they were bound by his orders.

"Grumpy things aren't they," Gwaine said.

Merlin laughed.

(Aithusa POV) (It switches to Merlin's POV at *)

Aithusa was buried in a pile of heavy rocks. She had long since stopped trying to move. She knew her wings were broken, and definitely something else. It seemed like forever since she asked Merlin for help. She wanted to call out to him again, but she didn't have any more energy. She was barely conscious.

A shill screech reached her ears. Wyverns? That didn't make much sense, wyverns didn't live out here did they?

"There!" she heard a faint shout. She recognized that voice! It was Merlin!

Aithusa tried to move again. She screeched in pain when her wing shifted under the rock.

"Aithusa, don't move! I've got this!" Merlin shouted. The wyvern set him down, and he ran to her.

"_Raedee asce rak"_ Merlin hissed, throwing his arms out. From what Aithusa could tell, one of the rocks on her back lifted off.

"_Raedee asce rak!"_ Merlin shouted with more intensity. Now one of the rocks on her wing came off.

Merlin was panting now, "_Raedee asce rak!"_

Another rock from her wing.

"_Raedee asce rak!"_

This time it was one on her tail. It lifted a few feet, then fell back. Aithusa screamed in pain.

Merlin stumbled. One of the men with him steadied him. He was one of the men she had taken from the cave, she realized. The blond one.

"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"It's fine," Merlin panted, "They are just… really heavy."

Merlin reached out his hands and once again shouted "_Raedee asce rak!"_

The rock on her tail once again lifted. It had barely cleared her tail when it dropped to the ground again.

Sweat drenched Merlin's brow. He stumbled, and would have fallen over if the blond man hadn't caught him. "I don't know if I can do it," he panted.

"You got this Merlin," the blond man said, "I know you can."

Merlin straightened a little bit. He looked at the blond man, who nodded his encouragement.

"_Raedee asce rak!"_ The last two rocks both lifted off Aithusa. Aithusa roared in excitement and relief.

However, she still couldn't move. At least two of them were broken, and the other ones felt like they had been dipped in lava.

*Merlin stumbled over and pet Aithusa's face, "I'm so sorry I left you Aithusa. What happened?"

Aithusa whined a bit. "_I am not sure, lord. After you left, I flew away. I was able to go so much faster than I usually can, it was fun! But suddenly I fell, and I ran into a cliff. All the rocks fell on me and I couldn't move!"_

"The strength spell! Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't warn you! It must have worn off, and you aren't the strongest flyer without it."

"_I fear I will never be able to fly now,"_ Aithusa said sadly, "_My wings are broken. They already were deformed."_

Merlin frowned thoughtfully. After several minutes, he came to a half conclusion. He turned to the Wyverns, "What do you know of magic?"

"_We are creatures of magic, we know enough."_ they snapped.

"Can I heal her?"

"_It's possible. You would need help."_

"Who could help me?"

"_We could. We possess enough magic that if we combined it with yours, it could heal her wounds."_

"Would you do it?"

The wyverns didn't hesitate. "_We would. The dragons are our kin."_

"Then let's do it," Merlin said excitedly.

"_You will need to call more of us. There are some that live across the ocean that could help."_

Merlin's heart sank. "I don't know if I am loud enough for them to hear me."

"_We can make your call loud enough. Tell the mortals to cover their ears."_

Merlin told them to stand back and cover their ears. Then, with the 5 wyverns surrounding Merlin, they roared the magical call.

"**O WYVERN! E MALA SO FTEGOMETH TESD'HUP ANAKES ERKHEO"**

The call was so loud that the earth shook. Rocks shifted and some fell off the cliff behind them. Thankfully none were close enough to harm them.

Hours later, the wyverns still had not arrived. Merlin and the knights had set up a camp and cooked a meal. The wyverns had gone off to hunt and promised to return soon.

Merlin wasn't listening to the others as they chattered. He couldn't help but stress out about the upcoming spell he was about to do. He had discussed with the wyverns about what exactly they all had to do. It was going to be extremely difficult, and Merlin wasn't sure he had enough magic to do it. The wyverns had told him that of course he could do it, he was Emrys! But that sounded a whole lot like the druids, and they practically thought he was a god.

Merlin spent most of his time comforting Aithusa, who was still in a lot of pain. The knights tried comforting Merlin, but it was no use.

Finally, a screech could be heard from the distance. Merlin jumped up from his seat at the fire and immediately used his magically enhanced vision to see how many had come.

Merlin gave an excited laugh. He had expected 5 or 6, but he saw at least 20!

"They are coming!" Merlin shouted excitedly.

The wyverns landed. Some near Merlin and some around Aithusa. Merlin started telling them his plan.

The wyverns surrounded Aithusa. Merlin put his hands on her head and closed her eyes.

"**Ahluttre pa seocnes purhhaele braed." **he whispered. He could feel the wyverns chanting the same thing in his head. He could feel the intense power from them building up. He said the incantation again, "**Ahluttre pa seocnes purhhaele braed"** The power from the wyverns increased. Merlin felt the wind swirl around them. He didn't open his eyes as he said the spell again. "**Ahluttre pa seocnes purhhaele braed. Ahluttre pa seocnes purhhaele braed"**

Merlin felt a heat on his hands. He could see a bright light through his eyelids.

"**Ahluttre pa seocnes purhhaele braed," **Merlin opened his eyes. Aithusa was glowing. The wind swirled around them.

"Heal Aithusa," Merlin said, and then promptly passed out.

When Merlin woke up, he was surprised to see how different everything was.

The first thing he noticed was that the wyverns were gone. Then he noticed that they were back to where they left the horses.

Then he saw Aithusa.

Aithusa was taller. She was probably the size of a house now. Her spine was straight, and she no longer had a hunchback. Her bones no longer stuck out at funny angles. Her legs were no longer sticks, but they were strong and sturdy. Her face was elegantly curved. It was slender and long with some spikes on the top. Her eyes weren't sunken anymore, they were fierce. Her wings were wider and stronger.

In short, she was beautiful.

"How?" he whispered in amazement.

"You healed me," Aithusa said out loud.

"You can talk?" Merlin gasped.

"I'm no longer deformed." Aithusa said happily, "My vocal cords are healed!"

Merlin stood up, walking around her, "You look so good!" he said.

"All thanks to you," Aithusa said happily.

The other knights noticed that he was awake.

"Merlin, that was some serious mojo there," Gwaine said clapping him on the back.

"No kidding," Leon said, "It was impressive to watch."

"Really?" Merlin asked, "What did you see?"

"It started out pretty normal. You said the spell the first time. But then you started glowing! And after a few seconds, you and Aithusa levitated! Then Aithusa was glowing, and when you opened your eyes they were extremely bright!" Gwaine rambled.

Merlin furrowed his brow at Gwaine, "It must have been some serious magic." he said.

"You got that right," Arthur said.

Merlin hesitated, "And… you're ok with it?"

Arthur smiled, "Merlin, it was scary at first I'll admit. But I realized that you were healing an innocent creature. If you can do that, how could magic be evil?"

Merlin smiled, "So you're ok with me having magic?" he repeated.

"Yes. I am. In fact, I think I'll start to correct my father's wrongs. If magic isn't evil, why should it be illegal?"

Merlin froze, "Are you saying what I think you are saying?"

"Yes Merlin, I am going to legalize magic."

Merlin's eyes filled with tears. He couldn't believe that he had come this far in such a short time.

"Congratulations, young warlock," Aithusa said happily, "Avalon has arrived."

**And that's my story! It went on a lot longer than I expected XD. I really hope you guys liked it! If you guys want to give me story prompts then leave a comment! After all, the only reason that this one is here is because of a story prompt :p**

**I apologize for any inconsistencies. Let me know what you thought of the story! **

**Love you guys**

**Tuttutladyluck**


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